Successes of Reaching Higher (A re-post)

This is a note my friend Alex wrote on the facebook:

Let the numbers talk:

In 2009/10 the McGuinty Government has committed to providing approximately $780 million in capital funding for Ontario colleges and universities. The government is also providing $35 million over three years in capital investment to support the creation of 100 additional medical school spaces.

Let’s look at the Reaching Higher program:
-100,000 more students in colleges and universities by 2007-08, an increase of 25 per cent over 2002-03
-Creating almost 10,000 more graduate spaces by 2007-08 over 2002-03 levels to ensure that students can go on to pursue meaningful higher education and be leaders in the workforce. In February 2009, the government announced funding for an additional 3,300 graduate spaces over the next three years
-160 more spots in Ontario medical schools between 2005 and 2008
-The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is expected to graduate its first class in the spring of 2009
-Operating grants for universities and colleges increased by more than 40 per cent between 2003-04 and 2008-09, supporting the hiring of new faculty, increasing student-faculty interaction and improving student services and libraries.

Access to Education?
-Over 51,000 more students are qualifying for OSAP than in 2004-05, an increase of 30 per cent
-About 168,000 students per year are benefiting from the OSAP enhancements introduced since 2004-05
-Assisting 80,000 students in 2007-08 through Ontario Student Opportunity Grants by limiting student debt to $7,000 per year of completed study
-$55 million by 2009-10 to increase access to postsecondary education for traditionally under-represented groups, including Aboriginal students, students with disabilities and first-generation students, and to increase access to French-language education for francophone students
-Invested $1.4 billion through ReNew Ontario for postsecondary campus renewal and strategic capital projects.

If the McGuinty Liberals are making access to education so difficult, then why are enrolment numbers up? Why are there more people enrolled in post-secondary education? Why are more students qualifying for OSAP? Why are so many students benefiting from grants?

Is this a bad thing? Is it bad that more people are getting educated? Is it bad that our work force is becoming more skilled? Is it bad that the McGuinty Government is helping so many Ontarians?

I guess some people think so.............

Get the facts before the megaphones.
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